Rotary cutter for severing roots from vegetables



June 27, 1950 R. K. DAUGHERTY 2,512,921

ROTARY CUTTER FOR SEVERING ROOTS FROM VEGETABLES Filed June 11, 1946 INVENTOR [5640b KDauyher/g AT TORN EY Patented June 27, 1950 RG IARJ. GU'ITER FOR SEVERI NG ROGESM FROMWVEGETABLES alph Deu helctafian J se, .fial i aassimq tn tOJROXQMI MwmugQn. Application lune 11; 1946;;Seriwl Nm:675;95.8;1 T

Another: object-of thevinventign isig iP iqvi e a rooter of;theuqabowepxtype whiqh nabies qu manual appli fi nrfi the. WM 1e: ing akniie I Without danger of r-euttin h the operator. v

A :fHI'thEI'CiODjBOt Of the invention is itmDlQYai Qz a rooter; of the iabovev-type rwhich z-imfluidadriwm andis selfa cleaningqby yirtuetofethe drive fiuid Another obj eet Ofgthe :inyentiqn tis to prpvide a router which is not apt to becqme eloggegi byc. the detached roots of the vegetab1es fl Further objects will ;be;appanent.-.-frem;the i01 lowing descri tipnbi-a preferred embodiment-0ft the invention taken. in eo nneetiqn with, the-1 as; companying drawings in whichi,

Figure 1 is (a; transverse sectionalnview of the router as installed foroperatian. t

Figure 2 is xan' el evational, iview yof vthe -roptent with the diaphragmrcnover removed.

The rooteraof. the instant invention comprises a hollow body or casing l0- ofk cast ,cqnstnuetign; having an upp perropeningflsunyoundem1ma cyiinadricahwali 1 I andv a lower, discharge, DQIffiOlfL- I 2: ofsubstantially rectangulartcontpur wlit hsis pv 1:. set? with, respect to., thewa11 j I. A lntegi'al :flange; 13- at 5311311611. side of (the discharge pertionhlhp vide for mounting of the motel; in-operatingpp tion, for example, on a suitable suppoxmld 01:, a vegetable conveyernnbeltj 5.

With-inHthe ,casing -l 0, ,3, rooting knife "t is; mounted coaxially witha centralyope ning lhin. a diaphragm cover .-l8. oftrubbermor\ othertsuitw, able resilient. material which, is =mou1ded upqnua mounting sleevev I 9 The central, apertures! Lot the diaphragm, is surrounded, by. a raised pgntion; or rib ,2l providinga limit St0priQI the fingers; of an operatornin applyinghan-io iqn o uothen vegetable to the r ooter. The cover.v i8 isshownin Figure 1 as having a peripheral lportip uparalmh to the axis. ofk, the lapentune. .I It andiextending a substantial distancetowardsbthebottem of the rigid, casingA 0. Asalso shown in; Figure; ,1, the coverv l8 has intimate contact n-withutheflcasin t wall It so as to provide, alfiuidrtightiseal. ,t

The knife, 16 .is shapedv-to .cutwa licanieally; shaped section from the root nittheyegetahle Land;

respectso; the tdisszhar e p mna, a

wseeured we i @ere i wc n r 'lly i1 ain M v n wh h the interi r avity w thin t pellet: Z4 aboutithe b arin 1m e inta ned-, IeQ +Wi henea i h t w rd p ihi geav tv is prgvided with only a restrictedeonimunicatiq with the interio f-t e ieasin bymmean's, oi he inwargilv prpieq inaannu er-vfianeeemf:t eimz pelleri, Miami its c se-snaq l e to t elaqt i wa l, of the casing.

fonm .whieh aneiadapte'd tolreqeivena jet of water from aietifittin .S iis itab Mim-bunte wi hinam nc/linedi-tb ssH-ffl =of thebottqm wallpf the casing flu imme diately adiaeent .one sidei the iscllar i pentien zlhofsthe easing, A pipe. 38 eonnects the,

; jet ifittihgtfifi tov a suitable source. of, fiuiqundeiu n essuresiwmasa w ter pump ion, x mple-Q,

EWPQ iQm thewoperetq pi i i vegetable su hasganpnion. ,f om h c nye' 5 w th h stem end of the vegetable in the palm p fv-the hand a nd with the o tsi nil p t e weeetable.p siieq l a ut-jremmhefifl$- herveeeta i s en eq dqwitht hemqt; nd ,e eagin tth a e rwre I T ang pressuiqehis appiied tov depriess theQresiI- ient v dianhnaem i naan mm a ei ameun t n e r ama w thli e izeo fihev etah eo tha the. rqptewill en aee e anidl trv0l kn fe I Giana, will ba.cutfmmthe e a la Theellsa-ofi a. liquid. medium such as. water for riv nei-t mp ll r,t elog iienfoi thei t th 11 1 pellers andtthe dimensiomn l an e mfm efimneller with nu haca ina a d with f 1 t0 t e F iS'Ghar -a e ning, all nt bute (to e fieqtive diseharee tofic t nQt-tiqns bathe e etahl ith ginai u pm nt A sat eetez cut in accordance with the size of vegetable.v At; the same time the annular rib 2i of the dia-' phragm provides a guard or a limit stop so that .10., ture in said diaphragm and projecting within the the operator feels free to press the vegetable into the rooter as long as the fingers are outside of I this guard without danger of being cut.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention it will be understood that the invention is capable of variation and modification from the form shown so that itsscope should be limited only by the scope of the claims appende ed. hereto.

" I claim:

1. In a vegetable rooter, ahollow casing for mounting in an inclined position and having a downwardly projectingdischarge portion, an impeller journalled within said casing and substantially filling the lower portion thereof; an apertured diaphragm of flexible material on said casing, a knife mounted in fixed position on said impeller and having a cutting tip in axial alignment therewith, and a jet-fitting in said casing immediately adjacent said discharge portion and positioned to direct a fluid against said from below the impeller.

2. In a vegetable rooter, a substantially cylindrical casing for mounting in an inclined position and having a downwardly projecting discharge portion having one side wall extending tangentially from the cylindrical portion of said casing, an impeller journalled within said casing and substantially filling the lower ,portion thereof, an apertured diaphragm of flexible material on said casing, a knife mounted in fixed position on said impeller and havinga cutting tip .in axial alignment therewith, and a jet-fitting in said casing immediately adjacent the wall of said discharge portion opposite to said one side wall and positioned to direct a fluid against said impeller from below the impeller.

3. A rooting and coring device of the class described, comprising a substantially cylindrical casing for mounting in an inclined position and having a downwardly projecting discharge portion, an apertured diaphragm of resilient material at one end of said casing, an impeller journalled within said casing, a knife carried by the impeller impeller in alignment with the aperture in thediaphragm, and a jet-fitting in inclined position in the bottom wall of said casing positioned to direct a fluid against and upwardly through said impeller.

4. A rooting and coring device of the class de scribed, comprising a substantially cylindrical casing for mounting in an inclined position and having a downwardly projecting discharge portion with one side wall extending tangentially from the cylindrical portion of said casing, anj

apertured diaphragm of resilient material at one end of said casing, an impeller journalled within sair casing, a knife carried by'the impeller in alignment with vthe aperture in the diaphragm, and a jet-fitting in inclined position in the bottom wall of said casing positioned to direct a fluid against and upwardly through said impeller and around said casing to said tangential side wall. 5. A rooting and coring device of the l class de casing for mounting in an inclined position and having a downwardly projecting discharge portion, an apertured diaphragm of resilient material closing one end of said casing, an impeller in alignment with the aperture in the diaphragm, a knife carried by said impeller in fixed position thereon with a cutting tip in alignment with the axisl of said impeller and said aperture, journalling means for'said impeller comprising a post mounted in said casing coaxially with the aperimpeller tobe housed thereby and a bearing between said post and said impeller, said impeller being spaced closely from said post and from the bottom wall of the casing, and a jet-fitting in said casing positioned to direct a fluid against 1" said impeller.

6. A rooting and coring device of the class de- "scribed; comprising a substantially cylindrical casing for mounting in an inclined position and having a downwardly projecting discharge portion with one side wall extending tangentially from the cylindrical portion of said casing, an apertured diaphragm of resilient material closingone end of said casing, an impeller in alignment with the aperture in the diaphragm, a knife carried bysaid impeller in fixed position thereon with a cutting tip in alignment with the axis of said impeller and said aperture, journalling means for said impeller comprising a post mounted in said casing coaxially with the aperture in said diaphragm and projecting within the impeller to be housed thereby and a bearing between said post and said impeller, said impeller being spaced closely from said post and from theb'ottom wall of the casing, and a jet-fitting in said casing positioned to direct a fluid against said impeller and around said casing to said tangential sidewall. v i

7. In a vegetable rooter, a hollow relatively rigid casing; a rooting'knife mounted for rotation in said casing and having a cutting part disposed radially outward of the knife axis of rotation; and adiaphragm of resilient material ex- 45 ing 'said'ape'rture for enabling a vegetable posi- 55 tioned over said aperture and pressed against said diaphragm to be moved into engagement with said knife. g

8. In a vegetable rooter, a hollow casing includin a rigid part; a rooting knife mounted for rotation on said rigid part and in said casing and having a cutting part disposed radially outward of the knife'axis of rotation; and a diaphragm of resilient material extending across a the end of said casing and peripherally parallel to the axis thereof a'substantial distance, and being in fluid-tight sealing relationship with said casing part and constituting the sole support for the vegetable, and having an aperture axially aligned with the axis of rotation of said knife and sufficiently large to allow the cutting part of the knife in its rotation to project, therethrough, said diaphragm being flexible and deformable in cross section throughout a substantial annular area surrounding said aperture for enabling a scribed, comprising a substantially cylindrical is vegetable positioned over said aperture and pressed against said diaphragm to be moved into engagement with said knife.

9. In a vegetable rooter, a hollow relatively rigid casing; a rooting knife mounted for rotation in said casing and having a cutting part disposed radially outward of the knife axis of rotation; a diaphragm of resilient material extending across said casing and being in fluid-tight sealing relationship with said casing and constituting the sole support for the vegetable, and having an aperture axially aligned with the axis of rotation of said knife and sufficiently large to allow the cutting part of the knife in its rotation to project therethrough, said diaphragm being flexible and deformable in cross section throughout a substantial annular area surrounding said aperture for enabling a vegetable positioned over said aperture and pressed against said diaphragm to be moved into engagement with said knife; and means for maintaining said knife against axial movement relatively to said casing, whereby 6 relative axial movement of said casing and a vegetable pressed against said diaphragm for engagement with said knife is efiected solely by deforming of said diaphragm.

RALPH K. DAUGHERTY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,174,656 Beckwith Mar. 7, 1916 1,727,967 Eberts et a1 Sept. 10, 1929 1,815,730 Chapman et a1 July 21, 1931 1,945,978 Palombo et al. Feb. 6, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 218,869 Switzerland Apr. 16, 1942 

